Cheltenham Christmas Meeting day two preview and tips

SOME SCOPE (12.40 Cheltenham)

This informative novices' handicap chase was won two seasons ago by Corach Rambler and can often be a pointer for the Ultima back here in March.

No fewer than four of the seven runners in today’s line-up - Mofasa, Wiseguy, Everything’sontick and Some Scope - are ascribed the Timeform ‘p’, which signifies improvement is likely. Top-rated on Timeform figures is Weveallbeencaught, who has been allotted a ‘+’, denoting further progress may be on the cards.

What does that all mean? In short, that we’re dealing with more than usual share of unknowns and imponderables, particularly as Irish-trainer outsider Midnight Our Fred is the only one to have jumped a Cheltenham fence before; and that was on the Old Course.

One thing I am pretty certain of, however, is that SOME SCOPE is likely to prove a good bit better than his current mark. Richard Hobson’s charge sneaks into this at the foot of the weights (albeit he’s 1lb out of the handicap) following a narrow success on just his second chase start at Catterick last month.

A 5lb rise for beating some seasoned handicappers by three-quarters of a length may look a tad OTT on the face of it, but I felt he won that with a fair bit more up his cuff than the official margin suggests. Particularly eye-catching was the race-winning move he made around the home bend which saw him breeze into a clear lead, only to give his rivals a sniff of a second chance by putting in a short one two out, checking his momentum.

He’s entitled to learn from that and, as the only five-year-old in this field, is potentially open to more improvement than his half-dozen rivals. Whether that proves the case today, or some point further down the line, only time will tell.

The Inside Word

“Some Scope is very well but he’s not certain to run. I’ll need to see what the ground is like. Ideally he wants it good-to-soft, but his race is the first one over fences on Saturday, so we’ll just have to see. He’s one of those horses who stays really well but has gears. He’s also the type who’ll never win by very far.” Richard Hobson, trainer

FUGITIF (1.50 Cheltenham)

If at first you don’t succeed, try again. Or in the case of Fugitif, try, try, try and then try again. With form figures of 2224 in major Cheltenham handicaps over this trip, only the most stony-hearted punter would finally deny Fugitif his day in the winter sun. Similar comments apply to his local trainer Richard Hobson, who has sent out no fewer than 10 seconds at Cheltenham from his base less than 20 miles away, yet is still searching for that elusive first winner at jumping HQ.

Fugitif finished a place behind Il Ridoto in the Paddy Power Gold Cup over marginally shorter on the Old Course last month, when they both got a distant view of Stage Star and Notlongtillmay. He has four lengths to make up on Il Ridoto on that form, but I fancy Fugitif has every chance of doing so now that the cheekpieces he wore for the first time that day has been swiftly discarded. He travelled too enthusiastically through the first half of the race and unsurprisingly paid the price late on, running on fumes up the hill. Better is expected now.

With few secrets from the handicapper, he's always likely to prove vulnerable to something better treated. Thunder Rock's form is there for all to see and, if he turns out to be the Graded horse running in a handicap, as I've heard Olly Murphy’s runner described more than once this week, then the rest are playing for second. He’s yet to prove himself in this scenario, however. So odds of around 8/1 to four places (or five place with Sky Bet) on a tried-and-tested performer like Fugitif make him look the best each-way play in the race.

The Inside Word

“The cheekpieces just lit up Fugitif last time. It wasn’t the plan to jump his way so close to the front, but he did. I’d wanted to try him in the cheekpieces because he’s chucked away two races by veering to his left. I doubt he’d run with the choke out anything like as much second time, but I’ve left the cheekpieces off as I didn’t want to take any chances. You’re always worried there might be something lower down that’s better handicapped, but he’s a tough nut and he goes there in very good order.” Richard Hobson, trainer

BROADWAY BOY (2.25 Cheltenham)

Dan Skelton’s decision to bring him here in the hope of getting his stable flagbearer back on track following last month’s Betfair Chase flop adds a welcome, if slightly unexpected, dynamic to this 3m2f Premier handicap, which I’m contractually obliged to use its full title as the Favourite From The Sun Now Daily Handicap Chase.

It’s also one which will have the likes of Nigel Twiston-Davies, Gavin Cromwell and Nicky Henderson rubbing their hands at the prospect of BROADWAY BOY, Malina Girl and City Chief lining up only 10st and change on their backs, rather than 11st 7lb-plus.

The former has been disputing favouritism for this £100k pot all week, and took over as outright market leader following Thursday’s declarations. Much as my instinct is to try to hunt out some value further down the odds sheet, I keep finding myself coming back to the top.

My reasoning is simple. I think Broadway Boy is a serious staying chaser in the making. Having done this column a turn when romping home by 20 lengths from stable-mate Weveallbeencaught (runs in Cheltenham’s 12.40) in a Listed novices’ chase at last month’s meeting, I can't find any reason why he won’t make a successful transition to handicaps over the larger obstacles (won his final two starts in handicap hurdles) in a race his trainer Nigel Twiston-Davies won in 2018 and 2019 with Cogry.

Broadway Boy has done nothing but improve this year. He slammed Mofasa (also runs in the 12.40) at Worcester on his chase debut in September, then went down all guns blazing when trying to concede 5lb to Flooring Porter on the Old Course in October. Last month’s obliteration of a decent field was a further step up the ladder. Still only five, and with just 10 starts in his life, I suspect there’s a good deal more improvement to come.

The extra yardage of this race and greater emphasis on stamina that the New Course provides can help to draw that out. While Timeform’s prediction of a weak pace will further play into the hooves of this confirmed front-runner, who is reunited with Sam Twiston-Davies here for the first time since Worcester.

I've already backed him at 20/1 for the National Hunt Chase in March. This is hopefully another stepping stone towards that race for a horse I see as a future Grand National contender.

The Inside Word

“Broadway Boy is up against some classy rivals here, with the likes of Threeunderthrufive, City Chief and Protektorat in the mix, but we hope he’ll be able to hold his own well after that 20-length win last time out. We’ll find out a lot more about him here, but we’ve been lucky and had great success in novice handicaps in the past . Hopefully, the handicapper hasn’t really had a chance to get hold of him yet.” Nigel Twiston-Davies, trainer & William Hill ambassador

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